Remodeling Show Preview: Decks and the Code

The Remodeling Show at the Baltimore Convention Center is less than three weeks away (Sunday, October 7 through Wednesday, October 11). With its Baltimore location, the conference is especially convenient for travel from points on the Eastern Seaboard, and some conference topics will also hold particular interest for the coastal builder.

Case in point: Building official Glenn Mathewson's seminars about decks. Mathewson presents a two-day program of study for the North American Deck and Railing Association (NADRA) Master Deck Building Certification, from 8:30 AM to 5:00 PM on Monday and from 7:30 AM to 5:00 PM on Tuesday. (By the way, NADRA is also holding its annual "Main Event" get-together at the DeckExpo show, co-hosted with the Remodeling Show at the Convention Center. In addition to the certification course, NADRA events include a National Deck Competition and an awards dinner.)

If you don't have two whole days to devote to decks, you can still drop in for Mathewson's two deck-related short sessions. Wednesday from 7:30 to 9:00 AM, Mathewson presents "International Building Codes and Their Impact On You," with information about a wide range of new code requirements that could create snags for builders who face building department plan review or inspections. "Ledger connections, guardrail height, and new electrical requirements are just a few of the new provisions that this course intends to prepare you for," says Mathewson.

At 9:30 AM on Wednesday, Mathewson teaches "Corrosion and Decay Resistance of Decks." Nearly a decade after the agreement between wood treaters and the EPA that phased out CCA-treated lumber in favor of new formulations, many of which contain high levels of copper that can corrode other metals, Mathewson says, "the market still is confused about when treated material is required, the limitations of its use, and the relationship between lumber and hardware and fasteners."

For a taste of Mathewson's published work, check out Hanley Wood's Professional Deck Builder magazine, where Mathewson is a contributing editor.

If your interests lie in other areas, of course, the Remodeling Show conference covers a wide range of other business and technical topics. For a full schedule with descriptions of conference topics, download the brochure: ("Education Extra").